Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the European Commission’s recent proposal to make all medicines for livestock and horses available only on prescription will have on agricultural merchant businesses.

Ross Finnie: This proposal forms part of a much wider set of proposals to amend and update the procedures for the authorisation and control of both human and veterinary medicines in the EU. In its present form this particular proposal could prevent agricultural merchants supplying medicines intended for administration to food-producing animals. Veterinary medicines legislation is not devolved. But my officials are liasing closely with DEFRA colleagues to try to modify the proposals to allow a more flexible approach to be adopted to product distribution.

Bridges

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) whether it will publish an anonymised account of the full report of its internal investigation into the failure to renew the Erskine Bridge toll order, (b) what the specific reasons are for its position on this matter and (c) how its position reflects its stated aims for open government.

Sarah Boyack: We undertook during the debate on the Erskine Bridge Tolls Bill to publish the conclusions and recommendations of the investigation. We did so on 15 October. These cover what happened, and the next steps to avoid a recurrence. The publication of this information is in keeping with the  Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information . Publication of the full report or an anonymised version would not be in the public interest, as disclosure of this information would prejudice the effective conduct of personnel management in the Scottish Executive (Exemption 7 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information ).

Civil Registration

Mr Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to implement the proposals on the registration of births, deaths and marriages in Scotland outlined in the consultation paper Civil Registration in the 21st Century .

Mr Jim Wallace: The Registrar General has today published his proposals arising from the consultation Civil Registration in the 21st Century . Copies have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Some proposals can be implemented without legislation. The Registrar General will take these forward as soon as possible. Other proposals will require primary or secondary legislation, which will be announced and brought forward when a suitable opportunity arises.

Criminal Records

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost will be to local authorities of paying for criminal record checks for staff and volunteers when the new arrangements begin next year and whether it will make any assistance available to help meet these costs.

Mr Jim Wallace: The relevant legislation makes the individual applicant or job seeker responsible for the payment of the appropriate fee. Prospective employers may reimburse the applicant but that would be entirely a matter for them to decide.

  We are making available £1 million per annum so that volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults in the voluntary sector may have criminal record checks carried out, without cost to them or to the voluntary organisations concerned. We are presently examining the possibility of extending free checks to such volunteers in the statutory sector.

Criminal Records

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the central registered body to be established under Part V of the Police Act 1997 will be operational.

Mr Jim Wallace: Volunteer Development Scotland has agreed to act as the central registered body from January 2002 to assist the voluntary sector with Part V prior to the new certificates becoming available from April 2002. VDS is currently advertising to fill key posts within the central body.

Criminal Records

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16582 by Mr Jim Wallace on 17 July 2001, when comprehensive information will be provided to voluntary sector organisations to assist them in meeting their obligations under Part V of the Police Act 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: An information brochure on the new disclosure system is in the final stages of preparation and should be generally available within the next few weeks. In addition to this, the Scottish Criminal Record Office is setting up a series of seminars at various locations across Scotland for organisations considering becoming registered for the purposes of accessing the new system. The seminars will provide a more detailed insight into the new processes and will give organisations an opportunity to ask questions on particular matters which may concern them. A website will shortly be available to promote the new disclosure system on a wider basis.

Elderly People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many psychiatrists specialising in the treatment of older people are currently employed in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: The latest information available on the number of medical staff working in the specialty of Old Age Psychiatry is shown in the following table, which should be read in conjunction with the notes.

  Medical Staff directly employed by NHSScotland in Old Age Psychiatry

  Headcount as at 30 September 2000p, by Health Board and Grade

  


 


Consultant 
  

Associate Specialist 
  

Staff Grade 
  

Registrar Grades1


SHO2


Hospital Practitioner3


GMP
  (para 94 appt.)3 


Total 




Argyll & Clyde 
  

5 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

6 




Ayrshire & Arran 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

3 




Borders 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 




Dumfries & Galloway 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

2 




Fife 
  

3 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

6 




Forth Valley4


4 
  

- 
  

2 
  

1 
  

2 
  

- 
  

2 
  

10 




Grampian 
  

5 
  

- 
  

- 
  

3 
  

3 
  

9 
  

5 
  

25 




Greater Glasgow 
  

10 
  

2 
  

5 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

2 
  

21 




Highland 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

2 
  

2 




Lanarkshire 
  

1 
  

- 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

5 




Lothian 
  

9 
  

- 
  

- 
  

4 
  

1 
  

- 
  

7 
  

21 




Tayside 
  

6 
  

- 
  

- 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

3 
  

11 




Scotland 


46 


2 


8 


17 


10 


9 


22 


113 




  Source: Medical and Dental Census (MEDMAN), ISD Scotland.

  p. Data for September 2000 is provisional and may be subject to change.

  Notes:

  1. Registrar Grades comprises Specialist and Senior Registrars. There are no Registrars.

  2. Senior House Officers do not train in Old Age Psychiatry but it forms a part of their General Psychiatry training. For the trusts that record this level of detail the table shows the number of SHOs in this element of their training at the census point. There were a total of 256 SHOs in training in General Psychiatry at the census point.

  3. Hospital Practitioners and GMP (para 94 appt.) include general medical practitioners employed part-time in hospitals.

  4. Double counting of staff has been eliminated in the health board and Scotland total staff number. Where a doctor works in two grades, they will be counted once in each grade, but just once in the health board total.

Fireworks

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to control events involving bonfires and fireworks on and around 5 November 2001 in the interests of public and animal safety.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive and the Scottish Fire Service are supporting the Department of Trade and Industry’s 2001 Firework Safety Campaign. The DTI’s Firework Safety Toolkit has been issued to fire brigades across Scotland. Brigades will distribute the Toolkits, including safety posters and leaflets, to schools. Additionally, brigades will take any further action they consider essential to raise awareness of bonfire and firework safety issues in their local areas.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the Scottish Enterprise budget in the current financial year will be spent on a recovery programme following the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Scottish Enterprise plans to spend up to £9.5 million during 2001-02 in support of recovery programmes designed to combat the impact of foot-and-mouth disease. This represents 2.4% of Scottish Enterprise’s current grant-in-aid allocation of £395 million.

  As its area of operations was worst affected by the outbreak, Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway will receive £5.5 million of Scottish Enterprise’s planned spend on this subject. This represents an increase of 65% in the Local Enterprise Company’s original budget of £9 million.

Homelessness

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what criteria registered social landlords may choose not to accept homeless applicants when requested to do so by local authorities.

Jackie Baillie: Section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 sets out the duties of registered social landlords with respect to housing a homeless person when requested to do so by a local authority. Section 5(3) states that "a registered social landlord must, within a reasonable period, comply with such a request unless it has a good reason for not doing so". Section 5(7) enables Scottish ministers to issue guidance as to what constitutes a good reason. The relevant guidance is currently being drafted. It will be considered by the Homelessness Task Force and then issued for consultation before the section is commenced.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6643 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 June 2000, (a) whether the estimated costs of conveyancing and other legal fees in respect of the proposed transfer of Glasgow City Council’s housing stock are now known and, if so, what those estimated costs are and (b) whether any contracts for legal services will be entered into outwith the council.

Ms Margaret Curran: £1.23 million has been earmarked for legal and conveyancing costs expected to arise in 2001-02. It is for Glasgow City Council to determine whether the work involved is to be carried out in house or externally.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7529 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 16 June 2000, whether there have been any changes in the composition of the panel of independent advisers approved by Scottish Homes for the purpose of providing independent advice to tenants in the housing stock transfer process.

Jackie Baillie: The table lists the approved members of Scottish Homes’ panel of independent advisors as at 1 October 2001. Changes which have taken place since answer to question S1W-7529 on 16 June 2000 are annotated:

  


Organisation 


Change




Anne Flint & Associates 
  

 




Arneil Johnston 
  
 



Calvay Co-operative Ltd 
  

Not currently undertaking new commissions. 
  



HACAS Chapman Hendy Associates 


Merger between the Housing Association Consultancy and 
  Advisory Service (HACAS) and Chapman Hendy Associates 




Cube HA 
  
 



Hill and Ritchie 
  
 



Housing Plus 
  
 



MRT Associates 
  

formerly Mason Rose-Troup Advisers 
  



Organisational Development and Support (ODS) 
  
 



Russell Rowbotham Associates 
  
 



Tenants Information Service (TIS) 
  
 



The new Housing Services 
  
 



Tenants’ Participation and Advisory Service (TPAS) 
  
 



Waverley Housing Management

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether asylum seekers located in Glasgow will be permitted to vote in the ballot on the proposed transfer of Glasgow City Council’s housing stock.

Ms Margaret Curran: Asylum seekers do not have individual tenancy agreements with Glasgow City Council, therefore, they will not be permitted to vote in the ballot on the proposed Glasgow housing transfer.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made to provide translation services and otherwise assist those with language difficulties in respect of the pre-statutory and statutory consultations on the proposed transfer of Glasgow City Council’s housing stock.

Ms Margaret Curran: Glasgow City Council has made arrangements to ensure that all relevant consultation material is printed in a range of languages.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what the estimated cost is of providing any translation services in respect of the pre-statutory and statutory consultations on the proposed transfer of Glasgow City Council’s housing stock and (b) from which budget any such cost will be allocated.

Ms Margaret Curran: Glasgow City Council (GCC) is using its existing translation service to produce consultation material in relation to the proposed housing transfer. Any additional costs are included in resources allocated to GCC for tenant consultation under the New Housing Partnership programme.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it is currently estimated that the Glasgow Housing Association will be liable to pay in VAT in respect of its projected capital programme.

Ms Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18239 on 8 October 2001.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent estimate is of the number of houses that would be demolished under the proposed transfer of Glasgow City Council’s housing stock.

Ms Margaret Curran: In its business plan the Glasgow Housing Association has stated that it intends to demolish an estimated 10,854 properties.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7529 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 16 June 2000, what expertise and skills are required of members of the panel of independent advisers approved by Scottish Homes for the purpose of providing independent advice to tenants in the housing stock transfer process and what checks are made of their professional reputations and career records.

Jackie Baillie: Panel members are required to have expertise in finance, housing management, legal, technical and communication skills as well as experience in tenant consultation.

  Before being accepted onto the panel, applicants have to submit evidence of relevant experience, knowledge and skills, along with CVs of those individuals involved in providing advice. Applicants are interviewed by the Scottish Homes Community Ownership team.

  Regular reviews are undertaken to update information held on the personnel retained by Independent Adviser organisations, including any specialist sub-contractors that they may employ.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how members are appointed to the voluntary management committee of the Glasgow Housing Association and on what criteria candidates for appointment to the committee are selected.

Ms Margaret Curran: This is a matter for the Glasgow Housing Association in line with the arrangements set out in its rules.

Local Government

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the "power of well-being" provisions to be granted to local authorities under its proposed Local Government Bill will create a duty to clear rubbish off the foreshore.

Peter Peacock: The power of well-being will not place a specific duty on local authorities in this regard. We envisage the power as a general power to allow local authorities to do anything to promote or improve the well-being of their area, subject to certain safeguards. It will be for local authorities to decide how the power could best be used in responding to the needs and priorities of their area.

  Local authorities are principal litter authorities under section 86 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and have a duty, as respects their relevant land, to ensure that the land is, so far as is practicable, kept clear of litter and refuse.

Planning

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question SIW-16313 by Lewis Macdonald on 29 June 2001, when it intends to publish an overview of the responses to its consultation on new evidence and policies for mobile phone masts.

Lewis Macdonald: The overview of responses is now on the Scottish Executive's website at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received concerning the first report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales on HM Prison Buckley Hall, Rochdale since it was transferred from the private to the public sector and what lessons it has learned from that report.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS does not normally receive reports on prisons from other jurisdictions and has not received the report referred to.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost implications would be of bringing HM Prison Kilmarnock back into the public sector.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Like all contracts, costs of termination depends on many factors, including the reasons for such a decision and the point of time in the contract. Such costs would require detailed calculation by independent advisers, both financial and legal.

Tourism

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has, following the recent terrorist attacks in the United States of America and any consequential impact on golf tourism, to encourage the Scottish Tourist Board to promote golf in Scotland and particularly in Ayrshire.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: The marketing of Scotland as a golf tourism destination is, and will continue to be, a high priority. VisitScotland is spending around £1.5 million this year. As a major golfing area, Ayrshire will feature strongly in this effort and, of course, the area is also heavily promoted by Ayrshire and Arran Tourist Board.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funding pledged for the bid for the Ryder Cup golf championship which is unspent will be made available to VisitScotland or any other organisation for the marketing of golf tourism

Allan Wilson: Funds identified during the current year for the Ryder Cup bid have been fully allocated. The approach to future years will be discussed further with the Ryder Cup Committee and other parties in the light of the decision that the event will not come to Scotland until 2014. The marketing of Scotland as a golf destination will remain an important part of the overall tourism strategy throughout this period and will be funded accordingly.